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GM-free fed Lidl

August 2016

Photo Creative Commons

If you follow the business news, you'll be aware that the
Big Four UK grocers have seen their sales figures go into reverse in the past
few months. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda are just discovering that,
in uncertain times, customers are less interested in choice and brand names
than they are in value-for-money.

German 'discounter' Lidl, which offers select bulk-bought
staple products at a minimum price, is one of the up-and-coming grocers into which
the Big Four's customers are diverting.

Lidl's customers are quality-conscious, and this extends to
doubts about the health-effects of GM in their food-chain. Like all good grocers, the Company is
responding to its customers' requirements.

From July 2015, Lidl began to introduce dairy produce from
non-GM-fed cows. First off was fresh and
UHT 'GM-free' milk in Bavaria. This is
currently being rolled out across its German stores and will shortly include
two cheeses (Emmentaler and Wisenländer).
In Bavaria, 'GM-free' dairy is to be expanded to include cream, sour
cream, crème fraîche, mozzarella and sliced cheese. All these will carry a visible 'GM-free'
('Ohne Genentechnik') label.

The Company has undertaken to absorb any additional costs
incurred by its 'GM-free' farmers.

Lidl has 91 stores in Scotland, and has recently agreed
"six-figure deals" with Macsween of Edinburgh and We Hae
Meat of Ayrshire to supply black pudding, haggis and sausage. Beef from Scottish, grass-fed cows is also
being advertised.

A £1.5 billion investment in building new Lidl stores now
underway.

OUR COMMENT

Lidl is creating a demand for GM-free feed which will
generate ... GM-free feed. Being canny
Germans, they're doing it at a measured pace to give farmers and suppliers time
to adjust. The fact that the Company is confident
about absorbing the cost and is able, at the same time, to plan a major
expansion, suggests all the doom-mongering about supposed prohibitive cost of
using non-GM feed has been significantly overplayed.

Bear in mind that GM crops were (and continue to be) rolled
out due to the "deep pockets of agribusinesses based in the United States,
their political connections, and the notion that GMOs represent
'progress'" (Latham and Wilson).
None of these things have the power that YOU the customer wield.

Welcome to GM-free Scotland

About us

Formerly known as the Scottish Consumers Association for Natural Food, Pro-natural Food Scotland was formed in 1996 by a group of concerned people in Glasgow, Scotland. We are funded entirely by donation and run by volunteers. We network with, and support, all like-minded groups and individuals. Our objective is to empower by raising awareness.